Hopes fade: Woman performs last rites using wooden statue after son goes missing in Neendakara boat capsize

KOLLAM: The last rites of Gautham Krishna, a fisherman, who went missing after a boat capsized in Neendakara, was performed at home. As his body could not be found, his mother Reshma carved a wooden figure resembling her son and performed the last rites. Reshma’s husband and father also died in the accident along with her son.

After completing the rituals, the wooden effigy of her son was cremated on the funeral pyre. It has been 55 days since Gautham Krishna went missing after the boat capsized while fishing. Despite extensive searches, Gautham has not been found. After losing hope that her son would return, she performed the last rites, considering him dead.

Earlier, Reshma had staged a protest at the police station, alleging that the authorities had failed to locate her missing son. Following that, Chief Minister V D Satheesan, Union Minister Suresh Gopi and others intervened, following which the search operation was intensified. However, his body could not be found.